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Lester Gagen takes a break to watch as his steers rehearse for their role in Oklahoma Farm Bureau’s new television commercial.

These five Longhorns rehearsed their part in the new Oklahoma Farm Bureau television commercial in downtown Tulsa.

In spite of it being her wedding, this Oklahoma bride has an ear bud from her radio to listen to an important football game. Two Oklahoma Farm Bureau ads with this scene premiered Jan. 2 to coincide with bowl games. One ad was play-by-play of the OSU Cowboys and the other was play-by-play of the OU Sooners.

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“I think it’s fabulous,” says Oklahoma Farm Bureau Executive Director Matt Wilson of the new advertising campaign.

Two ads with a football theme began airing Jan. 2. Lester’s ad debuted a bit later.

After about nine months of market research, then interviews with more than 20 advertising firms to select the ideal one; and countless feet of videotape to shoot five new ads, Oklahoma Farm Bureau launched the new campaign.

“We decided we need to do an effective multi-media campaign,” Matt explained. “In today’s market, it’s important for Oklahoma Farm Bureau to present itself in a way that is compelling and meaningful to consumers.”

The television ads are a continuation of the organization’s selfimprovement campaign. Over the past 10 years, the organization with the cooperation of county Farm Bureaus finished an image improvement campaign by remodeling, rebuilding or adding on to county offices.

New district claims office were constructed, and nearly every square foot of the Oklahoma City headquarters building got a face lift.

“What this campaign emphasizes is that this is Oklahoma; we’re an Oklahoma insurance company; and we are Oklahoma Farm Bureau,” explained Matt. “The campaign is all about things in

Oklahoma – the weather, football and cattle. It says we’re OK – which is a play on the name Oklahoma – so you’re okay emphasizing that this is Oklahoma and we are Oklahoma’s insurance company and organization.

“We believe our new marketing campaign theme, ‘We’re OK, so you’re okay,’ cements our relationships with our fellow Oklahomans as someone they can trust in their time of need. In the end,” says Matt, “that’s what insurance is all about.” he first two ads to debut depicted weddings. A bride and groom are repeating their vows in a church, but the bride has an ear bud from her radio and is listening to a broadcast of the Oklahoma State University Cowboys football game in one ad. The other ad is the sample couple in the same scenario with the bride listening to the Oklahoma University Sooners football game.

Both conclude with the theme that this is Oklahoma, Farm Bureau is the state’s insurance company and that it’s all presented by Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Those two ads began running Jan. 2 to take advantage of the football bowl season.

Lester’s ad previewed later in January. It also emphasizes the “We’re OK, so you’re okay” theme but in an entirely different setting.

From behind the wheel of an auto traveling down Tulsa’s Main Street, the driver suddenly encounters several Longhorn steers in the middle of the roadway.

As the driver stops for the cattle, a cowboy on foot (it’s Lester) comes into the street to drive the cattle out of the way. The “This is Oklahoma. . .this is Oklahoma’s insurance company. . .Oklahoma Farm Bureau” theme then appears on the screen.

“I’m a bit in awe of how long it took” to film the commercial, Lester said. “We did it umpteen times to get good pictures.”

Lester and his six cowboys loaded up the Longhorn steers on the ranch, which is located near Bartlesville in the Ramona community, that October Sunday and headed for downtown Tulsa.

“We hauled them down and got a fence set up. I didn’t know what the steers would do when we turned them out. I thought we could have a bit of a rodeo. The steers adapted, but the horses didn’t.”

The ranch horses the cowboys rode we skidish at the sights and sounds from the city. The Longhorns were almost oblivious, and Lester worried that they “were almost too gentle. They got very complacent and gentler. You couldn’t hardly run them down the street,” says Lester.

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Lester Gagen poses behind his desk at Green Country Ag & Lawn Equipment in Tulsa. He and his son-in-law own and operate two growing John Deere dealerships in northeast Oklahoma. The second dealership is located in Pryor.

Lester Gagen and a son-in-law own and operate large John Deere dealerships in Tulsa and Pryor. Since they purchased the dealerships, business has grown from $4 million to $20 million annually in just seven years. They put a strong emphasis on service just like Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

Some of the trucks and production crew from Cloud 9 Productions in Tulsa assemble on the Gagen ranch outside of Bartlesville. You’ll want to see the finished ad from this site, which features a log chain flying at a 90-degree angle from a fence post.

He did not see the television ad before it debuted. However, Lester did have a pretty good idea of the message.

“It seems the mood was that anything can happen in Oklahoma.

You’re liable to see cattle in downtown Tulsa.”

Lester’s selection for the commercial was happenstance. The ad agency selected to put together the new campaign contracted Cloud 9 Productions in Tulsa to do the actual production work.

That company began scouting for sites for another commercial in the new campaign and wound up in Washington County.

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“It all started when the movie company was digging around looking for a place to make a movie,” remembers Lester.

Lester and his wife, Becky, who manages all ranching operations, had just leased a ranch that the production company liked for a location shoot. After neighbors directed the production people to the Gagens, Lester convinced them that another family ranch location would be better.

“They asked if they could film there. But the grass wasn’t Big Blue Stem, so I suggested my home place. I met with them. We went up to Ramona and they fell in love with it. It has big grass, trees and an oil well. It’s what Oklahoma is all about.”

While the production company was scouting the Gagen ranch for locations, representatives asked Lester where they could find cowboys for the Tulsa shoot.

“I told them me and my cowboys,” he remembers.

That was the start of the arrangement that put Lester, his cattle, cowboys and ranch on Oklahoma television screens.

While he enjoyed participating in the shoot in downtown Tulsa, Lester was more impressed when the production crew pulled on the ranch. Large trucks full of equipment, a large RV that provided a catered lunch to everyone involved and an airboat converged on Broken Arrow 5.

The ad filmed on the massive Gagen ranch, which runs 1,000 to 2,000 stockers and about 100 cows, will debut later in the year. It’s a weather related scenario, with a chain attached to a lone fence post in the middle of a Big Blue Stem pasture. Strong winds eventually straighten the chain, putting it at a 90-degree angle to the post. The message at the end is the same as all the other ads.

Lester, who been a member of Washington County Farm Bureau longer than he can remember, said even before the commercials that he was impressed with Farm Bureau Insurance.

“It’s the easiest insurance company to work with,” he declared.

He had claims when fires burned his fields, which were filled with hay.

“I was very impressed with the appraiser and he was good to work with and how the claim was settled.”

Lester and a son-in-law now own and operate Green Country Ag & Lawn Equipment, which has locations in both Tulsa and Pryor. His wife, Betsy, manages the family ranch operations. They have employees on

the ranch, but the grandkids, daughters and their husbands take an active role helping with the operation.

They generally purchase one to two thousand head of stockers in September or October. The stockers stay on the ranch to add pounds and are sold as feeders in July and August. The hundred-head cow herd also is a major facet of the ranch operation.

The ranch operation will double in size later this year with the addition of 4,700 leased acres.

“I take a lot of ribbing about my wife ranching and me setting here (at the Tulsa Green Country location) behind a desk,” says Lester.

While his family has run cattle for more than a quarter of a century, Lester and his son-in-law have been John Deere dealers just seven years. They purchased Green Country and now have 40 employees working at the two locations.

“We’ve gone from a $4 million to a $20 million business in seven years of operation. We emphasize service and parts. We’ve grown every year. It’s better than ranching, and it’s not near as hard.” ester, who plans to ranch full time when he retires, has had a long and varied career. He grew up on a dairy farm in Ramona. After graduating high school, he went to NEO at Miami for a year before Uncle Sam came calling with a draft notice in 1966.

Lester spent a year with the infantry in Vietnam, a locale he sarcastically called a “fun place” before he returned to the states. He then spent the next 33 years with three different companies that marketed oil field equipment, and was vice president of marketing for North American operations for two of the three.

Travel was a major part of his duties with the companies. Lester said he was gone about 35 weeks each year, working for the companies in places like China, South America, England and Europe. After several years, he was able to remain stateside but was transferred to many different cities and states.

He and his family “came home” in 2001 to northeastern Oklahoma and expanded the ranching operation near Ramona.

“I’ve lived all over the country, but I like northeastern Oklahoma best.” All his family and his wife’s family are just a few hours away from the ranch, which is important to him.

“It’s a dying culture if we don’t do something,” Lester says of ranching. That’s why he and his wife involve their daughters and their husbands and all the grandchildren in the ranching.

“You can spend a lot of time teaching kids things and they’ll learn a lot more than just playing football or basketball,” he concluded. “That’s what I want to do full time when I retire.”

Watch for Lester on your television. And, don’t miss the two wedding ads and the upcoming log chain blowing in the wind spot. There’s one more with a couple in a car listening to a weather report on the radio, but we’ll not give it away. Tune in, we think you’ll be proud of Oklahoma Farm Bureau.

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All Around

Oklahoma

Hope Pjesky selected as Eisenhower Fellow state’s top young farmers for their lfalfa County Farm Bureau’s Hope achievements in the farming business and Pjesky has been selected as a 2008 their leadership in the agricultural Eisenhower Fellow in Agriculture.

Hope, who resides near Goltry, will travel to community.

She and Ryan operate a large diversified Thailand, Malaysia and Japan to investigate wheat and cattle farm, which makes heavy agriculture trade policies and food safety, use of the ability to graze stocker cattle on defense and traceability practices. The program is designed to enrich her perspectives winter wheat pasture. A portion of their land was originally homesteaded by Ryan’s great, and contacts through professional meetings with farmers, farm organizations, food retailers great grandfather in the Land Run of 1893.

Hope comes from a farm family in Virginia and manufacturers, national government that possesses an 18th century land grant officials, university researchers and policy from the King of England. That farm remains experts in the field of agricultural trade. in operation today.

She joins an impressive international She was a 1993 Virginia Farm Bureau network of Eisenhower Fellows, including only Discussion Meet winner.

16 from the entire field of agriculture.

Hope has served as an Hope was selected after a Agriculture Advisory Committee competitive interview and member for Sen. Tom Coburn, selection process. The selection and also has an American committee, composed of Farm Bureau YF&R leaders and innovators in the Achievement Award top 10 agriculture industry, chose finish in her numerous list of her based on her proven accolades. leadership and success in She currently is a the field of agriculture and member of Class 13 of the international exchange, her Oklahoma Ag Leadership potential for continued Program. With her selection impact, and her long-term as an Eisenhower Fellow, she commitment to the will be spending a lot of time in agricultural sector. the Far East, between this and In recommending Hope for the OLAP international study the fellowship, Dr. Joseph experience planned for China and Williams, program director of the Hope Pjesky South Korea.

Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Eisenhower Fellowships engage emerging Program, said that she “has a true thirst for knowledge relative to agriculture at all levels.” leaders from around the globe to enhance their professional capabilities, broaden their Eisenhower Fellowships’ USA Program contacts, deepen their perspectives, and typically sends up to a dozen abroad annually unite them in a diverse, worldwide network for four- to eight-week programs of similar where dialogue, understanding, and professional enrichment. The program is collaboration lead to a more prosperous, just designed to give participants professional and peaceful world. insights and contacts, a broadened Established in 1953, Eisenhower international and cross-cultural perspective, Fellowships has identified men and women and a lifelong network of colleagues and well on their way to positions of national friends from their program groups. leadership and provided them with Hope serves on the Alfalfa County Farm opportunities for professional, intellectual, Bureau Women’s Committee and was heavily and personal growth. Nearly 1,700 Fellows involved in the Farm Bureau Young Farmers from more than 100 countries have and Ranchers program. She and her husband, participated in Eisenhower Fellowships since Ryan, were the Oklahoma YF&R Achievement Award winners in 2004. That award honors the its founding.

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klahoma Farm Bureau purchased the champion wether meat goat and 26 other prize-winning animals that made the annual premium auction at the 2007 Tulsa State Fair Junior Livestock Premium Auction Oct. 5. The grand champion exhibitor Cierra Staats of Alva FFA along with other Alva youngsters are pictured with OFB’s Steve Kouplen along with the Bank of Western Oklahoma’s Jimmy Harrell and Texas Transco’s Kyle Minyard. The bank and oil company joined with OFB to purchase the goat, which brought $12,500.

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he Haworth FFA team won the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Tulsa State Fair Livestock Judging Contest Oct. 5 for the second consecutive year. The team will be Oklahoma’s representative at the National Western Show in Denver in January, where the best judging teams from across the nation compete for the national championship. Members of the team, from left, with FFA Advisor Paul Ogden include Chani Galloway,Trey Lockhart, Courtney Mayl and Matthew Deloziev. OFB’s Roland Pederson, far left, and Mike Spradling, far right, were on hand to congratulate the team and award a $750 cash prize to the Haworth teens. Farm Bureau presents the monetary award to help the winning team defray its expenses at the National Western Show.

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klahoma Farm Bureau received the Frank Sanders Memorial Award at the Tulsa State Fair Junior Livestock Auction Oct. 5. The award goes to the buyer purchasing the largest volume of prizewinning animals at the previous year’s premium auction. It was the sixth consecutive year OFB received the award, which is a portrait displayed by Frank Sanders Jr., son of the award’s namesake.

Pictured in the photo, from left, are OFB’s Roland Pederson, OFB’s Steve Kouplen and his grandchildren, Blake and Sydni Gomez, Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, Sanders, OFB’s Charles Sloan and Mike Spradling.

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OFB is a top buyer at Tulsa Fair klahoma Farm Bureau & Affiliated Companies was a major buyer at the 2007 Tulsa State Fair Junior Livestock Premium Auction Oct. 5.

The state’s largest farm organization purchased the grand champion wether meat goat and 26 other prize-winning animals that made the annual premium auction.

Farm Bureau was recognized prior to the auction with the 2006 Frank Sanders Memorial Award for last year’s premium auction, marking the sixth consecutive year for Farm Bureau to be recognized for purchasing the largest number of animals in the sale.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau also sponsored the Tulsa State Fair FFA Livestock Judging Contest Oct. 5, and awarded a $750 cash prize to the winning Haworth FFA team in the senior division. The team will be Oklahoma’s representative at the National Western Show in Denver in January, where the best judging teams from across the nation compete for national championship. Members of the Haworth FFA team included Chani Galloway, Trey Lockhart, Courtney Mayl and Matthew Deloziev. The monetary award is presented to help the winning team defray its expenses at the National Western Show.

The 27 exhibitors of the prize-winning animals Farm Bureau purchased during the premium auction were: • Cierra Staats of Alva FFA for her goat, which was the grand champion wether meat goat.

• Emily Pippin of Cherokee County 4-H for the reserve champion all other breeds steer.

• Kyle Norvell of Amber-Pocasset FFA for the third place Shorthorn steer.

• Ryan Pullan of Aline Cleo FFA for the reserve champion Berkshire barrow.

• Chelsea Clifton of Kingfisher FFA for the reserve champion natural lamb.

• Madison McGolden of Fairview FFA for

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the champion Suffolk lamb.

• Jill Davis of Guthrie FFA for the champion speckle face lamb.

• Laurie Fitch of Payne County 4-H for the reserve champion speckle face lamb.

• Garrett Sharp of Garfield County 4-H for the fourth place Simmental steer.

• Tiffany Hubbard of Ottawa County 4-H for the fourth place Maine-Anjou steer.

• Dalton Hubbard of Ottawa County 4-H for the fifth place Chianina steer.

• Blake Kennedy of Pottawatomie County 4-H for the eighth crossbreed barrow.

• Jennifer Lawler of Elgin FFA for the fourth place crossbreed lamb.

• Kari Wendt of Kingfisher FFA for the fifth place Suffolk lamb.

• Tiffany Reiger of Alfalfa County 4-H for the sixth place natural colored lamb.

• Garrett Goodwin of Tonkawa FFA for the seventh place natural colored lamb.

• Sam Eden of Keyes FFA for the eighth place wether meat goat.

• Rashele Blakley of Oologah FFA for the fourth place Angus steer.

• Brooke Summers of Claremore FFA for the seventh place Shorthorn steer.

• Taylor Terry of Custer County 4-H for the seventh place crossbreed steer.

• Clinton Partain of Afton FFA for the fifth place Limousin steer.

• Steven Beck of Pauls Valley FFA for the twelfth place crossbreed barrow.

• Lacey Newlin of Burlington FFA for the seventh place Hampshire lamb.

• Natalie Eaton of Arapaho FFA for the eighth place crossbreed lamb.

• Austin Rhodes of Fort Cobb-Broxton FFA for the eleventh place crossbreed lamb.

• Whitney Taylor of Pryor FFA for the twelfth place natural colored lamb.

• Emma Sherry of Hughes County 4-H for the reserve champion Shorthorn steer.

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A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

klahoma Farm Bureau used member J. Mack Bohn and his Touch of Ear eight-mule hitch to wish the state a happy 100th birthday in the Centennial Parade. Bohn and his unique hitch

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of some of the world’s largest mules hauled Farm Bureau’s banner through the Guthrie parade Nov. 16 to the delight of thousands of parade goers. Bohn houses the mules on his Diamond JK Ranch on

the outskirts of Cyril. He and his hitch travel thousands of miles across the United States each year to participate in parades, festivals and other special events.

SECRETARY CONFERENCE

large crowd of county office secretaries gathered in Oklahoma City at the Marriott Hotel for the two-day County Office Secretary Training session. Well over 100 secretaries from across the state assembled for the kickoff luncheon Nov. 27 where they were welcomed by Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Mike Spradling. OFB Executive Director Matt Wilson was on hand to introduce members of the

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state staff. General Counsel Monica Wilke was the day’s featured speaker, telling the story of her upbringing in a small Oklahoma town. She related events from her life, telling the secretaries the importance of being properly prepared for any

endeavor. The first day of the conference also featured two sessions presented by American Farm Bureau’s Matt Scramlin. Informative breakout sessions and details about the latest in employee benefits were second day highlights.

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TULSA FARM SHOW

klahoma Farm Bureau Field Representative Robin Landrum (wearing cowboy hat) goes over the Tulsa Farm Show map with former state Director Jim Freudenberger of Coyle and Canadian County member Marvin Novak of Yukon,

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far right. Safety Director Justin Grego, left, also looks at booth setup map. Safety Specialist Micah Martin is in the background. The 14th annual farm show attracted a big crowd on opening day, Dec. 6, despite chilly temperatures outdoors. All exhibits were

indoors in the Quik Trip Center on the Tulsa State Fairgrounds. The show ran through Dec. 8. OFB’s booth at the show featured the Kids Fire Safety trailer plus safety videos running on television along with stacks of brochures about the farm organization.

Angus Heritage Foundation taps OFB member he American Angus Association board of directors has selected an Oklahoma Farm Bureau member for induction to the Angus Heritage Foundation.

Bob Hartley, a Craig County Farm Bureau member from Vinita, was one of five selected as a 2007 inductee.

Each year, a select group of individuals who have made significant contributions by dedicating their time, knowledge and efforts to the improvement and advancement of the Angus breed are inducted into the Heritage Foundation.

Hartley is a graduate of Oklahoma State University. He is a pioneer in performance testing and carcass evaluation.

In 1958, he founded Spur Ranch in Vinita,

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where he built a reputation for practicality, efficiency and performance.

Hartley was involved in the initial planning of the Oklahoma BEEF, Inc. bull test station at OSU. In addition, he bred the 1971 International grand champion bull, Spur Emulous Master.

He established H&H Land & Cattle Company LLC in 1994, and continues to raise commercial and registered Angus cattle and operates a stocker cattle program.

Hartley served on the OSU board of regents from 1969 to 1971, and was honored as a distinguished graduate of the animal science department in 1972. He was named OSU Master Breeder in 2000.

Bob Hartley, left, was inducted to the Angus Heritage Foundation at the 2007 American Angus Association Annual Banquet at the North American International Livestock Expo Nov. 12 in Louisville, Ky. The Angus Heritage Foundation recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of the Angus breed and Association programs. Also pictured is American Angus Association President Paul Hill.

Look for Ag Census soon o you raise a few goats or exotic animals? How about organic fruits and vegetables or free-range chickens?

Maybe you have a few equine for pleasure and harvest some hay from your acreage. Many times we think of agriculture as only big corn and soybean farms that dominate the news and farm bill debates. Did you know that 59 percent of U.S. farms sell less than $10,000 worth of agricultural production? Small farms and acreages represent an important segment of the rural economy.

The USDA defines a farm as “any operation that produces and sells, or could sell, at least $1,000 worth of agricultural production.” With more than 1 million operations, each selling less than $5,000 worth of production, rural lifestyle and mainstream agriculture join forces to represent the entire food and fiber industry. Your local communities need to know the growth of this segment of their constituency. How fast is the face of

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agriculture changing and how does that change affect the services and programs available to rural residents?

The only comprehensive measure of agriculture at the local level is through the Census of Agriculture. Every five years, the USDA is charged with the responsibility of benchmarking agriculture and documenting the direction it is heading. This confidential data is collected directly from operators at all levels of production. Aggregated to county and even zip code levels, the results are made available to all segments of the economy, without disclosing individual information.

Small and very small farms, even those that may not consider themselves as farms, are an integral part of the economic engine that drives our local communities.

The 2007 Census of Agriculture represents

all of agriculture; small farms as well as large; traditional as well as non-traditional farms; specialty production as well as major commodity production.

“It is all-important to the overall economy and therefore should be included. In order for your segment of the industry to be represented, it is up to you. Remember, this is your voice, your future and your responsibility,” said Wilbert Hundl Jr., director of the Oklahoma Field Office of USDA-NASS. Beginning in January, the Census report forms will arrive in mailboxes throughout rural America. Please be part of the information solution and promptly complete and return the form. If you feel you have been missed and should be counted as part of the U.S. agricultural economy, call 1-888-424-7828 and request to be included.

Farm Bureau Members

SAVE $300 Present this certificate along with your Farm Bureau member card to your salesperson at any John Vance Auto Group dealership and receive an additional $300 rebate off the final purchase price of any new or used car or truck. This rebate is available only to Oklahoma Farm Bureau members and is in addition to all other rebates available. Certificate expires March 31, 2008.

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